Means for laying-in elastic strand in the edge of a mesh fabric



Feb. 8, 1938. J, STEINBERG 2,107,512

MEANS FOR LAYING-IN ELASTIC STRAND IN THE EDGE OF A MESH FABRIC Filed Oct. 19, less Patented eh. 8, 11%3 MEANS FOR LAJYHNG-IIN ELASTIC STRAND llN THE EDGE OF A IVJIESH FABRIC Julius Steinbcrg, New York, N. Y.

Application @ctober 19, 193%, Serial No. 108,325

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a method and means for laying-in elastic strand in the edge of a mesh fabric.

In the weaving or knitting of mesh fabrics such as adapted for use in the manufacture of hair nets and the like, it is desirable to lay-in an elastic strand in the edge of said fabric so that when the net is made up the selvage edge thereof'is provided with the property of intimate- 1y hugging the face and neck of the wearer. This type of hair net is well known but heretofore has been usually produced on a plain Raschel knitting machine or on other such machines using links. The product produced, of necessity, had to have a uniform repeat mesh since that type of knitting is characteristic of these machines. The laying-in of the elastic strand is a natural function of machines of this type and no variations in the knitting method were resorted to.

However, for the purpose of providing a. more desirably commercial article, it is desirable to weave the fabric mesh from which the hair net is made with more appealing and variegated designs. This is incapable of accomplishment on the knitting, machines above mentioned and hence resort was had to the Jacquard Raschel knitting machine.

This type of knitting machine, as commonly used, does not lend itself to laying-1n an elastic strand in the edge of thefabric produced, hence the invention seeks to provide means for layingin elastic strand in the selvage edge of a knitted fabric and'thus provides a new method for accomplishing the purposes of the invention.

In the present instance, since the needles in Jacquard Raschel machines have only a reciprocatory movement, it is necessary to provide means for, in efiect, shuttling the elastic strand from one side to the other of the end needle of a bank of needles, and it is this means which forms the basis of this invention.

In the accompanying drawing in which the invention is illustrated in semi-diagrammatic form, a preferred manner of practicing the invention is shown. This drawing together with the following specification comprises a complete disclosure of the invention as at present contemplated.

0 In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a semi-diagrammatic broken crosssectional view of the knitting members of a Jacquard Raschel knitting machine and including features of the invention.

5 Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan View illustrating the means for shuttling the elastic strand.

Figure 3 is a similar view with the parts in another position.

Figure 4 is a view of a hair net formed according to the invention.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail,

the initial portion of this specification will deal with those portions of a Jacquard Raschel knitting machine which are old but pertinent in carrying out the purposes of the invention. On a frame 5 there is carried a sinker bar 6 having a plurality of sinkers 1 arranged in banks as shown.

In association with the sinkers are arranged the knitting needles 8, in the present instance, of the bearded type. These needles, carried by the needle bar 9, are moved up and down in a reciprocatory manner to accomplish the knitting of the yarn Hi into the mesh N. This movement is relative to the sinkers, and the needles together with the sinkers and the presser bar l2,

strand guide bar i3 is mounted for endwise movement in the machine frame 5 and a spring I4 is employed to maintain this bar in one endwise position. A cam l5, driven by any feasible por- 3 tion of the machine, is arranged to engage a. roller IE on the bar to move it to the other endwise position.

Upon the bar l3, are carried a plurality of tubes or. elastic strand guides l1 thru which pass the elastic strands I8 which are preferably main tained in tension.

The character of the cam I5 is such as to cause the bar I3 and thus the tubes H, to move in one direction for one cycle of movement of the needles, i. e., up and down once. As an example, the needles move up and then down to form a.

stitch with the parts as in Figure 2. The cam I5 then acts to move the bar l3 towards the right. With the parts in this position (Figure 3) the needles again move up and down to form another stitch.

It is apparent from the above that the elastic in one instance will be outside the'needle, i. e remote from the sinker, and in the second instance will be between the needle and the sinker so that the second stitch will be knitted around the elastic.

In this manner a knitted sheath is formed around the elastic strand to accomplish the purposes or the invention, and while the invention is shewn as being carried out in a simple manner, it is, nevertheless, conceivable that immaterial variations in design may be resorted to by skilled persons in following the principles here set forth.

With reference to Figure 4 in which the result accomplished by the invention is illustrated, the length of fabric from which the cap is formed, may be knitted with a central area 20 of one form of design, the end areas 2| of another form of design, and intermediate areas 22 of a third form of design. This illustration is indicative of the variegated designs which may be employed and which were not capable of production on the plain Raschei machines. The mesh fabric thus produced may now be formed into the shape of a cap as shown, but in this instance the cap is relieved from the sameness of appearance by having such designs and configurations which are formable only on Jacquard machines.

While the invention is quite simple, it does seek to provide more commercially desirable articles of the nature herein set forth at a cast com-i mensurate with articles formed on the piain Rats-l chel machines. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 1 Patent, is:-

In a Jacquard Raschel knitting machine, a bank of needles and associated sinkers, and means for directing a length of elasticstrand first to one side and then to the other of the end nee- 1 dle of said bank whereby a tubular selvage edge. is formed on the fabric knittedby said needles and sinkers and said elastic is positioned within said selvage, said means comprising a guide for the elastic strand positioned below the sinkers, 2

a bar carrying the strand guide and a rotary cam for actuating said bar.

JULIUS STEINBERG. 

